Man dies after undetected tick bite causes extreme meat allergy
Lone Star ticks have been recorded in Canada, but sightings remain rare.
For the first time, researchers at UVA Health in Virginia have recorded a death linked to a meat allergy spread by a tick bite. The findings are detailed in a study appearing in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.
The now-deceased patient, a 47-year-old man from New Jersey, died “abruptly” a few hours after eating beef. His death was labelled a “mystery” until Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, a UVA allergist, investigated and discovered the cause, according to a statement on the UVA website.
The man, whose name has not been released, was unaware he had contracted a meat allergy.
In the summer of 2024, he went camping with his wife and children and ate steak for dinner at 10 p.m.
He woke up around 2 a.m. with severe abdominal pain and nausea, but recovered by morning.
Two weeks later, he attended a barbecue and ate a hamburger. He started to feel ill around 7 p.m. and was found collapsed on the floor about forty minutes later.
The man’s wife was unsatisfied with the inconclusive autopsy findings , so she asked a doctor to review the results. The doctor then contacted Dr. Platts-Mills.
“When asked about his history of tick bites, the man’s wife said he had none this past year but had 12 or 13 chigger bites around his ankles this summer,” UVA says on its website.
Chigger bites come from tiny mites in their larval stage that live in grassy areas. While itchy, they are not considered harmful.
The problem, according to UVA, is that in the Eastern United States, people sometimes believe they have a chigger bite when, in reality, they have sustained a bite from a larval Lone Star tick.
Lone Star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
Lone Star ticks are native to parts of the eastern U.S. and Mexico, but they are pushing farther north as temperatures warm.
When infected ticks bite a human, they transmit a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, which can trigger an immune system reaction that can lead to a red meat allergy. The condition is called alpha-gal syndrome, or AGS.
During his investigation of the deceased patient, Dr. Platts-Mills obtained post-mortem blood samples and found he had become sensitized to alpha-gal.
“Further, the blood indicated the man had had an extreme reaction, in line with what is seen in fatal anaphylaxis,” UVA says in a statement.
Most people who contract meat allergies from Lone Star ticks will not see such severe reactions. In many cases, consuming meat with this sensitivity can result in rashes, hives, swelling, nausea, or abdominal discomfort, presenting about 2-6 hours after eating.
According to UVA, experts had feared severe anaphylaxis was a possibility following a bite from an infected Lone Star tick, but this is the first recorded incident.
“The important information for the public is: First, that severe abdominal pain occurring 3 to 5 hours after eating beef, pork or lamb should be investigated as a possible episode of anaphylaxis; and, second, that tick bites that itch for more than a week, or [the bites of] larvae of ticks ... can induce or increase sensitization to mammalian-derived meat,” Dr. Platts-Mills says in a statement.
“On the other hand, most individuals who have mild to moderate episodes of hives can control symptoms with an appropriate diet.”
There is no treatment for the allergy other than avoiding red meat. For many people, it goes away over time, but this can take several years.
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Lone Star ticks in Canada
Lone Star ticks have been recorded in Canada, and mainly in Ontario, but they are not considered established, so sightings remain rare.
They are believed to have been transported into Canada by hitching a ride on migratory birds.
Ticks are still active in the fall
Even though the weather is cooling down, ticks are still active in the fall and, if the weather remains warm enough, can even survive through the winter.
You're most likely to encounter ticks in shrubs, near trees, tall grass, and piles of wood and leaves.
Remember: Many species of ticks, including the Lone Star tick, can be active any time the temperature is consistently above freezing and there isn't any snow on the ground, reads a statement on the Government of Canada's website.
Reduce your risk of getting a tick bite
When heading outside, experts say you can lessen the risk of tick-related disease complications by:
Using insect repellent that contains DEET or Icaridin.
Staying on cleared paths and avoid tramping through long grasses or brushy areas.
Covering up when you’re out for a hike or walking in a wooded or grassy area.
Wearing light-coloured clothing. Also, consider wearing long sleeves and pants and tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks.
Checking yourself, your children, and your pets after a hike or walk in wooded or grassy areas. Make sure you do a full-body check -- especially in the hair, under the arms, in and around the ears, the belly button, behind the knees and between the legs.
Showering or bathing within two hours of being outdoors so you can check for ticks and remove ticks that have not attached yet.
If you find a tick
Use tweezers to immediately remove it by grabbing onto its head and pulling it straight out.
Wash the bite with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer.
If you don’t feel well, contact your health care provider and tell them you have been bitten by a tick. Keep the tick in a closed container and bring it to your health care provider.
Put dry outdoor clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any remaining ticks.
VIDEO: Canadian researcher develops long-lasting tick repellent
Header image: File photo of a Lone Star tick. (James Gathany/CDC/Wikipedia, Public Domain)